We have nothing of our own to give God. If we are Christians, OUR money IS His money. We simply return to Him a portion of what He's given us. (We can never pay God what we really OWE Him...Jesus has already done that.)

revelation 14 vs 4 tells us that the 144,000 "were redeemed from among men,being firstfruits to God and the Lamb"..This number (be it literal or symbolic) were "sealed in their foreheads" by a sovereign act of God in ch.7 whilst upon earth,by ch.14 they are in Heaven..its just possible that there is a rapture of this 144,000..(they do not get mentioned between 7 to 14).Firstfruits also refer to christians and the righteous dead before Jesus,in the N.T it does'nt refer to money or farming produce.

---Rod4Him on 2/4/10 answer to this question is dangerously close to the truth.If his answer is accepted as being true it would virtually do away with the institutional churches as we know them today. As for me, I totally agree with ---Rod4Him on 2/4/10.

The only Biblical support for tithing comes from a misinterpretation of the Old Testament applied to a traditional/institutional modern church.

However, if people go to an institutional church, they should help with the expenses of the church, but that is hardly "giving." That is supporting their own "club." Giving is giving to someone or purpose with no concept of getting some of it back, such as giving to the poor.

MarkE. though I agree with you in some concepts, I disagree with you here. What scares me is it means to walk with and follow Christ, not how much I give. I don't track it.

Supporting those in "full time service?" I thought following Christ was a full time service.

Donna66I will concede to you if you can give any scripture in the New Testament to support not paying the tithe since it was "enacted before" and therefore is "apart from" the law?1 Cor 14 Paul refers to God not being the author of confusion and things being done decently and in order in the Church. If no set order to giving is instituted how do you feel the Church would survive?Even with tithing in place there are members who hang onto the coattails of other givers.They use the same arguments some of you use in this post.However, I do agree that if giving is not from the heart it doesnt matter how much it is.Regardless, I wont stop.

Great list of scriptures. I hope many read them. Indeed, those who devote themselves to work in the Lord's harvest deserve to be paid as any other worker. Hopefully, they will be supported generously by other Christians. But the "tithe", that is, 10% of income, is not mentioned here.

If you pay tithes, you will receive God's reward. If you do not pay, you will receive the opposite of God's reward (Malachi:3), make your choice. The Lord Jesus did not cancel tithing. It can be modified because of modernization but not erased. When the NT says give (2Cor.9:5-8)liberally, i believe this was not about tithes but free-will offering.

Ahhh..the "government" good point,Israel was set up to be the only "theocracy" in the world,their prosperity (based on laws such as freeing slaves every 7 years and returning land every 50 years,and the tithe,all of these things and more) were to be a witness to the gentiles of Gods Sovereignty and Grace...the church is not this way,to use old but sound teaching it is the job of the church to gather out the "Ecclesia"..Jesus is the Glory of Israel and a Light to the Gentiles.God already had the politics in place,Jesus married them to His future Kingdom..

Donna66, I pray these help. Matthew 10:9-10Luke 10:71 Cor 9:7-14Excerpts - Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 11 Cor 11:8 1 Tim 5:18 For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward

The Kingdom of God is a real government. Every gov. has a form of taxation. Jesus paid tax to Ceasar. He also said to give to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar and give to God what belongs to God. Abraham was smart enough to give a tax of 10% to Melchiezedek who, at that time, was the only Priest of the Most High. And Abraham received a mighty blessing. God re-inforced the taxation not as a law but as a command. Jesus never do away with the commands. Jesus fulfilled the laws and the prophecies. The Minister of Christ shall receive the tithes and s/he shall tithe from the total to take care the Strangers, Orphans, Widows (SOW). Tithing is alive in the Kingdom. God has bills too in this world and He is no thief to rob banks nor a lier to pay late.

Those who believe that giving/paying a tithe is appropriate for today, who do you believe should be the recipient of the tithe?

If you believe it's the local church,then you must believe in replacement theology. But the problem with that is that there was no monetary tithe even to the Levites. Furthermore, the Levites couldn't own land, so how can the clergy own land today? Pick and choosing...?

What happened was that someone came up with the teaching to give a tithe and people believe it because they were taught it, even if it is not Biblical.

People cloak themselves with belief systems and are generally not open to reality.

ashle7439-- There IS no cherry-picking about tithing in the NT because there ARE no teachings of Christ about it. (the one exception might be a single admonishion to the pharasees, who were under the law, to add charity to their tithes.Luk 11:42)

The New Testament and the new covenant leave us free to give what we will, whether it is 10% or more...or even less, if given cheerfully and not out of compulsion.2Cr 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly,or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (italics mine)

Its funny how some pick and choose which teachings of Christ in the gospels they believe is applicable to us. They agree most of Christ teachings are for us, however, because they are predisposed against tithing they make excuses.Tithing began before the law was introduced. The Law regulated the ten percent. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, 400 years before the time of Moses and the Law, according to Romans 4:12 we are to walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. We give tithes like Abraham, not by the Law but by faith. If the people of God paid tithes before the Law, and tithes under the Law, shouldn't we, who live by grace, be doing any less when we have a better covenant?

Jesus spoke to Jewish leaders 2 parables against their legalistic and self righteous attitudes, concerning the tithe..He taught nothing (recorded)to His disciples which is unusually odd,"after the order of Melchisedek" eh?...kept that very quiet,no one until Paul mentions this fact in the N.T .....Paul made a long statement about collecting money and never used the word "tithe" to convey any meaning or shorten the sentance!

Donna: You quote Luk 11:42 "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

Then you contradict it by saying that tithing is not required for Christians. THESE OUGHT YE HAVE DONE, AND NOT LEAVE THE OTHER UNDONE!

The new Testament does not suggest that anyone NEEDS to tithe...except for the pharisees who lived BEFORE the death of Jesus and were thus under the law. Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

For New Testament Christians, the instruction is:2Cr 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Tithing in the old testament was to provide for the tribe of Levi and Levitical Priests. Also to support the orphans and widows. Paul said we were under grace not under law. By grace you give what you purpose in your heart and give it cheerfully, because God loves a cheerful giver. God is more concerned with the quality of your giving then He is with the quantity. Those who teach 10 tithing in the church today are more concerned with quantity. If anyone is robbing God its those who preach 10% tithing and spend millions on their own selfish pleasures. The robbing in Malachi 3:8-10 was quality if you read Malachi 1:8,13 Footnote at bottem of page in reference to robbing is defrauding.

The truth and significance of this statement,"JESUS DID NOT COME TO CHANGE THE LAW. ---Francis on 1/28/10" is more fully understood when you realize that Jesus did not come to change the law but to COMPLETE the law.

Malachi 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes, but there he (JESUS) [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he (JESUS)liveth.

Hebrews 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

The "Devourer" spoken of in Malachi ch3 was the Roman army of AD70, ch.1 vs.1 tells us this book was written to Israel.There is no teaching for the church to tithe in the N.T.Why doe's this statute and ordinance mean so much to Israel?..its because the church will be raptured and God will "seal" the elect Jews to protect them and so give back to Abraham in an act of pure covenant.

2 Cor 9:7 Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 1 Cor 16:1 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. Paul an expert of the law did not mention tithing in his writings. He wouldn't allow circumcision in the gospel of grace because it was a law, so why allow the law of tithing 10 percent? The curse of the law condemns all those who don't give 10 percent and since there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, pastors are misleading those who are under the covenant of grace. Those who try to buy the favor of God fall from grace. Gal 5:4

1/2Preachers who try to place others under the curse of the law violate scripture *1. Tithes were salaries paid only in Israel by Israelites, on comestible crops, and clean domesticated animals (Leviticus 27:30-32). Tithes were not always accepted, Deuteronomy 23:18. Tithes were not paid on money owed, Matthew 5:23-24. A "Tithe" used for other than salaries, or exceeding the median salary, or excluding some workers, is a Malachi 3:9 curse, and was a form of theft. For the first few centuries, most giving was to the poor *2. Also, many church ministries, like many government ministries, are both extravagant and unaccountable to the common folk.

Are YOU of the very elect? Is your leader adding/ subtracting from the Word, in ways that contradict and do not consent to the sound words of your Savior? What does the New Testament say about those that do not consent with the wholesome words of Christ?

1 Timothy 6:3-4 If any teacheth different, and consenteth not to sound words, those of our :Lord Jesus Christ, and to the teaching according to godliness, 4 he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but sick about disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife

How are many denying their savior today? By denying the teachings from His lips? .Because of bad teachers, some well meaning learned from bad, still, teach the precepts of men and not those of your Father!

It always amazes me how when Churches who want your money, they tell you to Tithe.

This is blasphemous!

Why dont they tell you to keep Kosher and circumcise your sons? When it is convenience for these greedy Pharisees to grab your money, they do not hesitate to blasphemy The Christ. The 1st century church never tithed, (see Sermon of the Mount)for the laws are written on your heart and the orginal church gave all they had. Not the 10%. They never resorted to the deceptive Stewardship classes either They were honest and said we need money, clothes, food, shelter etc. Christians gave in the true sprit of The Christ. But Pharisees are called Hypocrites by Jesus. And they still exist today dont they?

The tithing meant back then and for today, was not of money but first fruits, like grain, and agricultural and other things.

If our Father meant for us to tithe money. The scripture would refer money as silver and gold which they used as money for what cannot be bartered!

You do not have to give your church money, you could give them things they need instead and is preferable. Money has been corrupting our leaders. Will we ever follow the Torah which means teaching instructions from our Father?

Here is a test: Take a tithe of your money, or however much you want to give, and take it outside and throw it up into the air to God; now what stays up in heaven is clearly God's, and what comes back down from heaven is evidently your's.

**I am blessed by God because I chose to be blessed.**When the angel came down to Mary and told her she was blessed do you think this was her own choosing.You can choose many things in life but blessings are from God and not yourself

No NEW COVENANT (New Testament) scripture commands a Christian to pay 10% of their earnings. Because false ministers want the parishoners money, and unlearned ministers divide the word of truth unjustly by misapplying abolished O.T. leaven to coerce God's children to pay for God's grace.

????WHAT???? So I guess the Apostles chose not to be blessed? Rebecca D tithing and giving are not the same. Do you understand that the tithe is a requirement, there is not an option when it comes to tithing. Giving is a freewill gift, you have the option not to give but you do not have an option to withold a tithe, that is the insidious nature of the common tithing doctrine.

Ryan; No. If I was just giving to get, as you say. God would not bless me and my family the way he does. I am blessed by God because I chose to be blessed. I don't care if you don't agree with me about tithing. I am led to by God, so if you think it is false and so wrong for me to tithe, then take it up with God.

I'm not under the law to tithe. Tithing should be between them and God alone. It is no one's business on me tithing and how much. The bible tells us give accoriding to how much you are blessed. God blesses me everyday, I give with a joyful heart. I have things (house, food, clothes) not because I'm rich or have money, I have those things because I give accordingly to how much I am blessed. this is my thoughts and how I believe, so please someone don't argue with me. Duane: We all don't agree.

4.When unrepented sin exists, a curse exists. The curse is eliminated INSIDE the covenant when one lives in obedience, not outside the covenant in disobedience (which is lawlessness). God does not grant licenses to sin (i.e., disobey, don't repent and you are still blessed & shielded from curses).

Since God never eliminted the law (or the tithe) any disobedience has its accompanying curse, including not tithing.

2.Mt 22:36 Master, which is(not 'was') the great commandment (in the law)?37 . . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment.This covers Commandments 1-4.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.This covers Commandments 5-10.

They are being told this because they don't yet believe or understand that this tithe which was part of the law to collect for the Levitical priesthood has been done away with.They don't understand Heb.7:12 that with the change of the priesthood came the necessity of the change of the law also.

Lawrence_Surles_Sr, there are absolutely no New Covenant demands for a Christian to tithe money to a building where God does not dwell. However, you are commanded to give with a cheerful heart to those less fortunaste than yourself. Three interesting side notes:1) There are zero recorded accounts of Jesus tithing or commanding His disciples to tithe2) There are zero recorded accounts of Paul tithing or commanding a tithe under the New Covenant